1 . Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control handle for manually-operated cranes, and to a crane assembly incorporating such a handle. More specifically, the invention relates to a handle for controlling the angle of a manually-operated, telescopic camera crane and to a crane assembly incorporating such a handle.
2 . Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR §§1.97 and 1.98
In filmmaking and video production, a crane shot is a shot taken by a camera on a crane. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie. Some filmmakers like to have the camera on a boom arm just to make it easier to move around between ordinary set-ups. Most cranes accommodate both the camera and an operator, but some can be operated by remote control. They are usually, but not always, found in what are supposed to be emotional or suspenseful scenes.
Presently, the telescopic camera crane is an essential part of the film and video production for both small and large set productions. Examples of such cranes are the JonyJib2 Camera Crane Jib Ann sold by TonyJib of Turlock, Calif. and the Techno-Jib telescoping jib arm sold by Telescopic LLC of North Hollywood, Calif. The current state of the art provides discreet crane solutions adapted to either small or large scale productions. All such cranes use counterweights to balance the weight of the crane and the camera. Because of a crane's dimensions, the operator may have to reach up a considerable height or bend down all the way in order to adjust the crane's angle.
It is to the solution of these and other problems that the present invention is directed.